January 8, 2003
To Chairman Hogan and Members of the New Freedom Commission on Mental
Health:
As national organizations representing consumers, families, advocates,
states, counties, and communities, we have unique perspectives and deep
concerns about public mental health services in this country. While our
missions differ, we have long worked together to advocate for profoundly
needed changes in the public mental health system and are pleased to submit
for the Commission's consideration the attached series of papers containing
policy recommendations.
The papers, organized by issue area, set forth both administrative and
legislative recommendations. These recommendations address many of the
broad themes on which you have heard testimony and offer our best judgment
for specific, attainable policies that can be implemented to achieve the
goals set forth by the Executive Order of April 29, 2002. The papers cover
the following topics:
Our recommendations are borne of painful recognition of the condition
of public mental health, which you have cogently described in the Commission's
Interim Report to the President. In the interest of brevity and focus,
the papers do not contain background or contextual information. Although
we would be pleased to amplify and expand on our submission at your request,
the problems we propose you address and the rationale underlying our recommendations
are in substantial part already reflected in the Interim Report, as well
as in the extensive record of testimony the Commission has already taken.
It is our hope that our work will provide useful guidance as you move
toward the development of a final report that can be a beacon and blueprint
for the future.
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